Do you ACTUALLY prefer women with no makeup?

liah

Just got thinking while posting in another thread, and I figured I might as well see what you gentlemen had to say!

A lot of men are going to be adamant about this, but I really can't believe men truly prefer women without makeup. Most women do not have perfect skin, eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, cheekbones, etc. There's only a small amount of women who can honestly pull this look off. Using myself as an example, I have exceptionally sensitive skin around my mouth that reddens quite easily. There's absolutely nothing I can do about it, was just born that way, but it's definitely not something that could be considered attractive. I have light-coloured eyelashes (blonde) that make me look like I have no eyelashes at all. This is also not something that could be considered attractive.

For some reason, whenever a man states "I prefer women with no makeup!" it's usually followed up with a comment against girls looking orange or troweling it on, and I begin to wonder how many of these "natural" women men are on about are actually natural at all. It's very easy to get a natural look from makeup by using skin-colour-like shades for eyeshadows, a soft black lightweight mascara, and a good foundation. Chances are, you really wouldn't know the difference between a girl with well-applied makeup and a natural girl.

So what's the deal with this, guys? Do you HONESTLY prefer women with absolutely no makeup? Or is it that you just prefer women who don't look like clowns or oompa loompas with far too much eyeshadow/lipstick/foundation?

Do you even notice when a girl is wearing natural-looking makeup?

And for any girls reading this, have you ever had a man think you weren't wearing any makeup when you actually were?

Generalissimo

My first inclination was to respond that I do prefer women with no make up but thinking about it a little more I agree that it's women with natural make up that I prefer. Several women I know can look fairly normal/nothing special when they've no make up on and can look stunning when they apply a little natural looking make up. So yeah,

Natural make up >> natural >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> oompa loompa make up

BrokenArrows

cant say i prefer no makeup..but i defiantly dislike it when girls pile on the makeup.

Otis Driftwood

When it comes to make up,less is always more.

If I had the choice between au naturale or caked on then thats no choice at all.

However minimalist make up like around the eyes or cheekbones = teh sexay.

The Big Red Button

I completely agree with you on this!

Almost all men claim to prefer girls without any make-up, the bare-faced natural look ... what they don't realise is that more often than not, when they see a really pretty natural looking "bare-faced" girl, she's actually just a girl who knows what make-up suits her and who is good at applying it!

speedboatchase

I wrote this on a similar subject a while ago, had to trawl through my post history so you better appreciate it!

"As a guy I think yeah, we do say you look great without make-up quite a lot to score points In general a girl will look better on a night out with make up, I think that's fairly obvious - I think most men would agree we like if a woman has obviously put some effort into her appearence when going out, but isn't too high maintenance when it comes to everyday things - I'd be turned off by a girl that slept with make-up on or had shovelled it on just to go the shops. Conversely any girl that is obviously wearing a lot of make-up or going overboard with eyeshadow etc on a night out would be a turn-off, I'd think maybe she was wearing that much because she felt like she "had" to and wasn't that naturally pretty - there's some girls you might see and you can't imagine what they would look normally cos they're wearing so much.

So in general I think we do play up the natural card a little to score points BUT we do prefer women who aren't as high maintenance in terms of having to wear make-up so often and when they do, not wearing so much. I'd think it's a little odd, maybe even lazy if my gf didn't do her hair or make-up for a night out but any other time I wouldn't bat an eyelid"

PeakOutput

i prefer women who look stunning with no make up

after that weather they wear make up or not dosnt bother me

too much is a massive no no

Rebel021

Women with no makeup
The streets would be empty

4davis7

Mostly No
pretty simple

Wibbs

chatterpillar wrote: »

Almost all men claim to prefer girls without any make-up, the bare-faced natural look ... what they don't realise is that more often than not, when they see a really pretty natural looking "bare-faced" girl, she's actually just a girl who knows what make-up suits her and who is good at applying it!

I'd agree with this. Men generally only see makeup when its obvious. Having had woman mates over the years I know the techniques . Just a bit of mascara, subtle eyeliner maybe some natural lippy can make a huge diff and most guys won't spot it at all. Mascara and eyeliner can turn eyes that are like two p*ssholes in the snow into a manga character.


Personally I prefer women who look good without makeup and/or the above subtle mascara, eyeliner combo on a night out. I can't abide heavy makeup or strong colours at all. TBH I find even foundation a bit blech. Maybe because I'm more aware of it and can see it? I'd also say that Irish women tend to go a bit OTT with makeup. Especially foundation. The more is more approach. Though not nearly as bad as some eastern european lasses who often favour the grenade dropped into a makeup bag approach.

Maguined

The more natural the make up looks the better.

I would also be more attracted to a girl with the confidence to walk outside her house with absolutely no make up on at all rather than a girl who has to wear it no matter how much better she thinks it makes her look.

Also I have noticed that girls who tend to wear a lot of make up even if its not the orange oompa loompa look but just lots of natural make up it tends to be bad for their skin in the long run, so while they think it makes them look better now to go into the office as pristine as they can make themselves its doing them much more harm in the long run.

Fukuyama

A little on a night out.

But if she wears make-up for everyday things like hanging out or popping down the shops then she's too high maintaninence for me and is probably a little obsessed with her looks.

amacachi

I prefer little or no make-up. And I'm not a fool, I can see if someone is wearing make-up, even if it's "subtle".

dearg lady

I wear a small amount of make up on a night out, but none the rest of the time. very occasionally I might wear mascara to work. My exes all seemed happy enough with my completely natural look.

Though I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn I subconsciously seek out men who prefer this!

pc11

It's not about women with no makeup being flawless, it's that the makeup itself is often the turn off. Of course most women are not flawless, but the natural look (with flaws) is often simply more attractive than having layers of muck.

That said, women with makeup can look very well. I just happen to like women who look well without it, I like to see what women actually look like and when they look well au natural, that is very atractive.

It's also psychological: good-looking women with little or no makeup typically have a tremendous confidence that is itself attractive.

Finally, there is definitely a correlation between being sporty or fit and wearing little/no makeup which is also attractive.

So, overall I really do prefer women with less or no makeup, more often than not.

helimachoptor

honestly i think it depends on the woman, my first real girl friend looked amazing without make up and even when she put it on it wasnt much.

Other girls have used more, but again it suits them. In saying that ive went out with some girls who looked like the came out the wrong end of a Tango commercial!

liah

pc11 wrote: »

It's not about women with no makeup being flawless, it's that the makeup itself is often the turn off. Of course most women are not flawless, but the natural look (with flaws) is often simply more attractive than having layers of muck.

That said, women with makeup can look very well. I just happen to like women who look well without it, I like to see what women actually look like and when they look well au natural, that is very atractive.

It's also psychological: good-looking women with little or no makeup typically have a tremendous confidence that is itself attractive.

Finally, there is definitely a correlation between being sporty or fit and wearing little/no makeup which is also attractive.

So, overall I really do prefer women with less or no makeup, more often than not.

But what about girls who have good bone structure and features but have bad skin? Nice skin is one of the main things people look for in the opposite sex, albeit rather subconsciously. I have a decent enough natural bone structure, and if I had dark eyelashes naturally and decent skin I'd be very able to pull off not wearing any makeup. But my stupid sensitive skin won't allow that.

I have a lot of trouble believing that that particular flaw could be easily overlooked/even considered appealing. It also doesn't take "layers of muck" to cover it up, just a very thin layer of foundation. Sure, you can even see my very light freckles through the foundation I put on. A lot of people have complimented my skin, saying it looks amazing-- when I'm wearing foundation. They don't even know it's there. Is that still considered off-putting, just because it's makeup?

Would you say the same about a girl who dressed in very baggy clothes, wore no bra, had a bad haircut? Would she be more attractive because she's less "fake," and therefore more confident in herself, since she's not putting effort into looking her best?

munchkin_utd

I could go on a diatribe against fake tan etc, but if there were a poll I'd be a fan of "the natural look", as little make up as is necessary.

A bit of makeup isnt the worst thing in the world, but a bit like drink, use too much and it all gets messy and you end up making an arse of yourself

I've seen far too many birds (including my cousins unfortunately) who are fierce pretty, but end up looking like a generic Jordan type slapper after the 3 hour makeup application procedure.
As the catch phrase says, it takes a lot of money (well makeup..) to look this cheap!

Wibbs

liah wrote: »

Would you say the same about a girl who dressed in very baggy clothes, wore no bra, had a bad haircut? Would she be more attractive because she's less "fake," and therefore more confident in herself, since she's not putting effort into looking her best?

Good point. Though maybe a little extreme the other way. I think men(and women) prefer the centre. Anything extreme tends to be a turn off. So very fat or very skinny tends to be offputting in men and women. Muscles in men good, looking like a condom stuffed with hazelnuts not so good. I'd say the same of makeup and other enhancements. Women have more of these at their disposal than men. Short legged? High heels will sort that. Small boobs? push up bra. Bland bone structure? Blusher etc etc.

I suppose like pc11 I've tended to go for the sporty gym bunny types(ironic considering me ) and usually less girly girls and like he said they tend to be less "dolled up" than average. So thats what I prefer.

the_syco

Depends on the company. Sometimes next to none can be excellent, sometimes caked in goth with the leather, etc, can also be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeet :drool: :cool :P

pc11

liah wrote: »

Would you say the same about a girl who dressed in very baggy clothes, wore no bra, had a bad haircut? Would she be more attractive because she's less "fake," and therefore more confident in herself, since she's not putting effort into looking her best?

No, I was referring to women who happen to be good-looking.

Of course, this is a circular argument: women we like the look of, we tend to think are goodlooking!

Essentially, the other posters are right: this all varies hugely depending on the women and on the man, it's very difficult to generalise. But, yes, you may be surprised to know that many men really do like the natural look. There really is almost no look that would not be attractive to many men. We're a pretty diverse lot, and we really do value things other than simple looks. And if we like you for other reasons, very often we find you much more attractive than you would think simply based on your face, it really is only one small factor.

Pherekydes

liah wrote: »

Would you say the same about a girl who dressed in very baggy clothes, wore no bra, had a bad haircut?

Mixing up natural with sloppy?

Are women who wear no make-up obliged to wear sloppy clothes and bad hair?

Mix and match to the best effect.

Maguined

It honestly depends on your use of foundation, generally when i complain about the foundation look on some girls its because they are using so much their face looks the one matt flat colour which looks unnatural to the human eye, the human face is suppose to have highlights and darker shadows because it is not flat but curved and angled. Some women can use a thin layer of foundation and improve their appearance of their skin and others lash on loads of it so they just look plain weird.

The fact you are getting compliments on your skin while wearing foundation probably means you are using just a little and are in the more natural looking category.

As for the baggy clothes yeah I have found girls wearing those clothes attractive, it really comes down to the attitude of the girl in question, is it coming across as she was just too lazy to make an effort or if it is coming across as clothes she really likes and feels confidant in. I think its the same for all clothes and even men, its more about how you carry yourself with your confidence and demeanour then the clothes you are wearing, a girl with lashing of make up smeared across her face wearing a fancy cocktail dress while wobbling around town on the tops of her high heels would probably be less attractive due to coming across as insecure to me than a girl with very little or no make up being comfortable and confident wearing some chilled out relaxed jeans and shirt outfit.

Kanoe

answered this q over in the LL, should have stuck it in here tbh, feel like a weirdo over there. Natural look as if it hadnt already been said.

ravima

Still to be neat, still to be dressed
As you were going to a feast.
Still to be powdered, still perfumed,
Lady, it is to be presumed
All is not sweet
All is not sound.


Give me a look, give me a face
That makes simplicity a grace.
Robes loosley flowing, hair as free.
Such sweet neglect more pleaseth me
Than all t'adulteries of art
That strike my eye, but no my heart.


(Inter cert 1980)

Snowie

Genrally I like women who wear small amounts of make up or know what there at as chatter piller, said.

I was chating to to rrally chalk and chease latvian ladys one had a fair amount of makeup and other very little.

I prefered the one with very little, But to behonest the one with little make up was way more attractive....

Bottle_of_Smoke

I think make up makes women look well. However, we can see through it.

No matter how good it makes you look we know you actually aren't that good looking in reality.

I don't know if you include eyeliner as make up in this context but I think it always looks really good on a girl.

Prof.Badass

I can only reiterate what other guys have said although i'll ad that heavy/obvious makeup forms part of a larger unnatural/showy look that i can't say i find attractive (and I'd imagine many other guys feel the same way too).

High heels, straightened hair, hair dyed to an unnatural colour, fake tan, long nails, uncomfortable-looking clothes- all do nothing for me (some of them turn-offs actually).

Although, i guess it depends on the guy and what he's looking for (i have an impression that guys who are more interested in sex than finding a partner might say the opposite).

Mackman

Im of the same opinion as most of the guys here. A little make-up used properly, can look really good. But if a girl needs no make-up, all the better

Greyfox

I think a little bit of make-up is better then no make-up with ALL women

I have also made the statement "you don't need to wear make-up" befor but it was giving a compliment and not telling the truth. I believe that the person I said it too was wearing a little make-up which was so subtle that I guessed that she would still be good looking without make-up.

A women wearing some make-up usually does make a big difference but like the majority of men I hate when a women wears too much!

miss5

I wear very little and go for the natural look, I think if it makes you feel
more confident then wear it. I think it's the caked on look people find unattractive.
Less is more when it comes to make up.

ilovetosing

I think irish and british girls are without doubt amongst the worst and they have the most outrageous looks when it comes to applying make up. Like others have said its all about applying it to suit your skin or needs! Sooo many women on a night out just go so OTT these days. I defo prefer no make up. The GF is gorgeous with or without make up as she never puts too much on so Im happy out with that!

I know a girl in work who I see every morning. She is white as a ghost and hasn't the best skin in the face! I do see her having brekki doing her face and the difference before and after is unreal! I think this is what MOST guys do not want to see in women.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Mrmoe

Any girls I have liked , I liked them regardless of the make up they wore. Everybody has flaws even make up can't cover them up at times.

sopick

definitely the less the better what i think is rotten is when you can see the makeup line ending along the jawline looks like a mask

shellyboo

Pherekydes wrote: »

Mixing up natural with sloppy?

Are women who wear no make-up obliged to wear sloppy clothes and bad hair?

Mix and match to the best effect.

No make-up DOES equal sloppy in a lot of workplaces. If I was going to an event or going out to meet a client, doing an interview, it'd be almost unprofessional of me not to wear makeup. Also very incongruous to wear dressy clothes and no make-up.

I agree with you liah, I think when men say "no make-up" they mean minimal make-up, and I agree with them there. I wouldn't wear make-up every single day, but on days where I'm a bit dressed up (like today) I've got light powder on, brows done, mascara, blusher, lip balm. I save foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow for nights out.

And I'd say the majority of guys would see me as having "no" makeup on today. I know my boyfriend prefers me bare-faced, but I like having some coverage to even out the redness in my cheeks and any other little blemishes.

Noffles

Nope, I like women with make up on and when they get it right they can look fantastic... and depending on the occasion plenty of lipstick is.... grrrrrreat!

G-Money

I like the natural look however that can be translated into a little makeup but not tons. I generally don't go for the amount of makeup that reminds me of a builder plastering a wall. Some girls can look a lot better with quite a bit of makeup, but then there's those who go over board and put tons on. They're usually the WAG wannabe's and D4 Ooompa Loompa girls. Which I don't go for either. I mean the last thing you want is to wake up and for her to leave and her face is still on the pillow

Giselle

One thing I never understand is an attractive girl thinking that greasy-looking makeup, or the wrong shade of makeup, enhances her looks.

Same for strongly coloured and unnatural shades of eye makeup. It just makes you look at the makeup, not the face. I wear light makeup in only natural shades, and nude lippy.

My pet hate of hates is big long claw like fingernails, to me that just screams a do-nothing-high-maintenance type.

Anna Molly

I just did a Philosophy exam dude, all about Plato and his 'forms' of knowledge and what not. Beauty is a concept, that infects the world and is ****e.
My bf says he loves me without make up,
I don't, wouldn't leave the house without foundation on. I have freckles that I hate!! Whatever floats your boat, he's seen me at his worst, and still loves me.. SORTED! [:

RacoonQueen

Most men say they like it when women don't wear make up. A lot of women wear so little make up that people don't even notice they're wearing it. Hardly ever wear it myself and when I do it's very little, just to even out skin tone etc..foundation, powder and mascara on my upper eye lashes. Don't see the point of lashing it on and I like that I can start getting ready to go out at 6:50 and be out the door at 7:30.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

I usually like a little bit of make up, depending on the girl of course.

BUT, I have seen a few tangoes lately that I have had a second and third look at, especially in school today, non-uniform day(shlap on the make up for the girls day).:P

elleburp

liah wrote: »

And for any girls reading this, have you ever had a man think you weren't wearing any makeup when you actually were?

Nope. That's never happened. But I've been told I don't "need" makeup. A lot of my friends don't wear makeup day-to-day. Actually I'd have more friends who don't than those I have who do wear makeup everyday. I honestly don't think women "need" makeup, but we wear it to work in the office or go out at night. I don't tend to wear makeup on average saturday or sunday afternoons or anyday I'm not in work.

Gillo

miss5 wrote: »

I wear very little and go for the natural look, I think if it makes you feel
more confident then wear it. I think it's the caked on look people find unattractive.
Less is more when it comes to make up.

Have to agree with miss5's point of view, it pretty much sum's up what I think; a little makeup is fine but slapping it on is just plain crap.
Some of the most attractive people I knwo generally don't wear makeup and it's the fact they look natural that really gives them an edge looks wise.

nkay1985

I don't like the heavily made-up look but after being with my other half for almost 9 years, I understand the subtleties that can be contained in the make-up routine. For instance, if she's goign out and jsut wants to look fresh she uses some stuff from The Body Shop that just gives the skin a nice glow. No harm in sutff like that.

On the other hand, she has a friend who literally does not need one shred of make-up of any variety. Not a touch of this, or a smidgen of that. So I'd rather see her nto wear any at all because she looks better for it. But that's certainly a rare occurance in my experience.

HalloweenJack

It depends on the girl's complexion.

I prefer it on Irish girls cos I find freckles unattractive but on girls with darker skin, there's no need for it.

mikeystipey

my missus looks lovely first thing in the morning with no make up, but looks much nicer in bright light/sunshine with make up...so overall I say warpaint for the win

Thomas828

Women with no make-up are usually the most honest people you could meet. They've got nothing to hide and they don't pretend to be someone they're not. And I've always liked tomboys. Tomboys rock!

DonkeyStyle \o/

liah wrote: »

Most women do not have perfect skin, eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, cheekbones, etc.

Perfect according to what standard? A photoshopped magazine cover?
Maybe for the men who prefer no makeup, the aspects you mentioned are less important.
Personally I look more at the overall facial geometry, shape of nose, size of forehead... size, position and proportion of things... things largely unchanged by makeup, especially when viewed from the side.
"Perfect" eyelashes and cheekbones aren't even on the list.
Also I find the bee-sting lips and eyebrows frozen in surprise utterly revolting and unnatural... I'm bewildered by the origins of this standard of perfection.
Flawless skin isn't required either, though it doesn't look like skin at all by the time some women are through with it.

Klingon Hamlet

Au naturale FTW! Makeup just makes faces look fake to me.

LeahK

Always a topic that is of interest to me.

I really have to laugh when I hear fellas saying "girls without makeup are better" or "I like a girl with a bit of meat on her"...IMO its such a load of b0llix.

You only have to look at the beautiful girls on the Easy on the Eye Thread to see that not one of those girls is makeup free and a very small amount of them "have a bit of meat" on them. I can guarantee that every single girl in those photos have a decent amount of makeup on. More than the average girl on a night out thats for sure!

In my opinion I think 100% girls look better with makeup on, no exception to the rule. I know girls who are gorgeous without makeup...they still look better with makeup!!